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Intro

What if you're in Team Rocket?

What if you need it for survival?

What if all havoc breaks loose...and you're the one to blame?

Murder

Xarius Gander was murdered. After Giovanni had resigned from Team Rocket, their Johto base needed a new leader to lead them to a brighter (and more corrupted) future. However, when Xarius Gander, the chosen leader-to-be among a small elite group of eight was about to get promoted to the team's most glorious position, he was found dead in his room, lying lifelessly on the floor like an abandoned puppet that had detached itself from its strings.

This couldn't be an accident - it had been ingeniously planned out.

The murderer entered the private room through a blind spot, a small area which couldn't be recorded down by the CCTV. With only a fingerprint-free knife acting as a proof of murder, other experienced Rocket members shifted their eyes onto the small group that Xarius had been chosen from - the Endowed Eight.

1. The RP is yes, still in Phases, while one Phase is made of probably two to three tasks plus a diary entry at the end. When a phase is close to its end with the missions completed, the E8 would go to their respective rooms, write down their thoughts and others in their diary (hence the name). Then they rest till the next day, where the next phase commences.

2. This RP I think is relatively short, as I want to make this a short yet successful/memorable RP. It will end in about Four Phases.

3. There really IS a killer among them. Always remember to think about that, as they might accuse YOU instead...

Target - Phase One is focused on Pokemon Bonds as warm-up practice. You, one of the E8, wake up and leave for the cafeteria. There, a long table with Pokeballs will be there for you, allowing you to choose one. After that, sit down on a semi-circular row of chairs and wait for the others to arrive. The Warden would arrive shortly to tell you what to do.

It was an important day for the Endowed Eight. When the clock struck eight, the computer system released a wave of 'good news' across the E8's corridor.

"Phase One of the E8 Project commences today. Please proceed according to plan."

As the robotic yet feminine voice echoed across the empty corridors, a confident man in his thirties strode in from the end of the walkway with a briefcase dangling from his grip. He brushed through his short, ink-colored hair with idled fingers then halted for a second, pressing down the morning hair that had been causing him trouble for quite a while. When everything seemed to be okay, the man approached an empty bench and unbuttoned his black trench coat, sitting down with a sigh.

Back pains. You just can't get rid of them.

The cafeteria entrance to the Warden's sector had been locked up tight at that moment, but the E8 had complete access to it through the other side. If memory served him right, he had already lined up ten Pokeballs onto a long, rectangular table at the center of the room, labeling each one with a little 'post-it note'. "Eh...they would know what to do. I've sent them notices for a reason," said the Warden while unzipping his briefcase and reaching for a clipboard within. Then, he scanned across the namelist with his hazel eyes, reading the rows of letters that had been neatly imprinted on a piece of A4 paper.

"Jasper Reed...Steven Zazus...Scyke Murr...a total of seven," he murmured while reading along the lines. "One of you is responsible for killing Xarius Gander..."

"And soon, I'm going to find out exactly who you are."

__________________

"Not everyone can become a great artist; but a great artist can come from anywhere" - Anton Ego

K A R M A

"Phase One of the E8 Project commences today. Please proceed according to plan."

Karma opened up her icy blue eyes in a dramatic fashion worthy of a movie and some music. She slowly sat up in her bed and turned to look around at the whole room. Everything looked like it used to. No nasty surprises. Oh well. The woman shrugged and jumped up, clearly awake as if she had already been up for hours.

After getting dressed, a process that took only a minute when she really knew what she wanted to wear, she made sure that her hair hung in its proper half-curls along her back and over her shoulders. Then she put on some make up and made sure that her lips were just a tad shade brighter than her nails on this very special day. She wouldn't want to look grumpy and sad now, would she? On this very special day.

Truth was that even though she smiled at the character in the mirror before putting her white labcoat over her brightly green t-shirt, she was quite annoyed with things right now. She had trained a couple of very promising and dear monferno but when the incident happened and they all got suspected for having something to do with it, her dear, precious, trained monferno had been taken away. Both of them. And today she was supposed to get a new pokémon, someone she could bond with. Bond, hah! The thought of bonding with anyone made her smile open up into a little laughter as she stepped out into the corridor. She almost hoped that someone had heard that. Today was a good day to seem confident on. Like any day. No matter what situation.

She strutted down the corridor to the cafeteria at the end of the walkway. Entering, she immediately spotted the long table with all the pokéballs lined up. Ten of them, and all of them with a little note attached to say what species was inside. So exciting! Karma did a little dance in the middle of the empty cafeteria, unable to keep it in. She walked up and down the row, thinking on what to do. Should she pick the strongest one? Or the weakest one and make it the strongest with her willpower and good training? Or should she not pick anything until the next person arrived and then snatch whatever pokémon it seemed like he or she wanted to take before their hand could reach it? So many fun alternatives!

Then, a name caught her interest. Golett. She knew very well how that pokémon looked like. A golett had been working, or living, or been doing something, at the temple where her father had worked. Her father...

The cafeteria fell silent when she stood still for a brief moment. Ugh, thoughts! Sentimental thoughts! No, away with them. She laughed a little just to make herself feel better. But then her smile faltered for a second again, and she reached out and grabbed golett's pokéball. This pokémon could be her family. If TR ever turned on her. Because things in this world always turn on other things at some point. She always turned on people at some point. But this pokémon, she wouldn't turn on him. And she would make sure that he wouldn't turn on her.

With shifty eyes, she looked around to make sure that no one else had arrived yet. Then she opened the pokéball up, allowing the ghostly golem to materialize on the floor. She gasped. It didn't look like the one in the temple from her past. This one glowed with a green light, matching her t-shirt, and it was overall darker and less... less blueish. It was a sign, for sure!

Hearing footsteps from the corridor, from someone who was about to enter the cafeteria next, she quickly returned golett to its pokéball before they had spoken any words to one another. Then she put on her usual violent smile again and obediently sat down on one of the chairs that were put up in a half circle, to watch what the next E8 member was going to do. She clutched the pokéball in her hand though, and for a brief moment she thought she heard something that she hadn't heard for days... the voice of a pokémon inside her head.

"Yo, lady," were the only word-like sounds she could make out. Definitely a good sign.

__________________

"Alright Gramps! Leave it all to me!"
moderator of Roleplay Theatre
proudly paired with seeker
staff collab july 2015

Parvati frowned as she stared at the ceiling as she laid in her bed. This was a common occurrence for her, she had frequent nightmares and hardly ever slept through the night without waking up unable to fall back asleep. This time she had been up for three hours. But she was used to it and it didn't bother her anymore. The time awake was spent thinking over things. From her past, to present events, and even the future. All were thought of, all her plans, her ideas were all formed in the hours before the sun rose while all others slept. Smirking as she closed her eyes for a moment as a simple thought formed in her mind. He said I'd do nothing with my life...well...I'll show him

"Phase One of the E8 Project commences today. Please proceed according to plan."

Opening her eyes as the feminine robotic voice gave the announcement Parvati got out of her bed her cold smirk in place. Phase one meant each of the E8 was getting a new Pokemon. Though she might not show it, on the inside Parvati was excited. Before the incident happened all she didn't have a Pokemon that was just hers. She used the basic grunt Pokemon a Rattata. Luckily she lost that Pokemon after the incident. Getting dressed quickly and brushing her hair putting it up in her usual ponytail. With a final check in the mirror Parvati nodded and left her room. Seeing no one in the hallway yet Parvati silently walked not making a sound, even with her footsteps. The soft soles of her shoes helped with that.

Upon entering the cafeteria Parvati right away knew there was someone else in the room. But paid them no mind. After all she wasn't here to make friends and she didn't want to anyway. As she approached the table that held all the Pokeballs she noticed the one was gone. Now it was the tough decision on which one to take. It took several minutes but one finally caught her eye. The note attached said that the Pokeball contained a Roselia and that alone made Parvati stop for a minute and just stare at the Pokeball.

Padma....she...she always loved Roselia

At this thought Parvati felt her facial expression start to fall as she remembered her beloved late twin sister, followed by the fierce rage and anger at the man responsible for her death...her own father. But Parvati quickly gained control and her normal mask fell back into place. Calm face clear of all emotion, except for the coldness in her eyes. Picking the Pokeball up from the table she crossed to the opposite side of the room from the other occupant of it and sat at the table though still facing the rest of the room. Letting out the Roselia for a moment she saw the note said it was a female. With a glance at the small thorn Pokemon Parvati observed her for a moment, aware of the fact said Pokemon was looking at her with an interested look. Yes, this one would do. "Kiri..your name is Kiri" Parvati muttered seeing the newly named Kiri nod Parvati returned her new Pokemon before standing and moving towards the chairs in the half circle and sitting quietly in the furthest chair from the other girl in the room.

Scyke was already awake before 8 o'clock. His bed was neatly folded, he already had brushed his teeth, and was already in his Team Rocket uniform. For the past fifteen minutes, all he had done was sat in his bed and pondered about the recent events. The promotion and inclusion to the E8. The new, better dorms than the ones he used to sleep in, even back in the orphanage.

The murder.

Scyke shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts again. There was no point on loitering around the thought of seeing Xarius Gander's body being taken away from his room; what had been done had been done. He tried to focus his mind into something more positive. He was chosen to be in this position, to be part of the young, elite group; out of every young Rocket member, him and seven others had been chosen as the most talented ones. A little crooked smile came to Scyke's face. This was it. He knew he had something in him, something that made him stand out. "A talent for battling with Pokemon," he had once overheard a higher ranked Rocket grunt saying, "I'm sure he will excel here as long as we make sure he stays here." Team Rocket believed in him, believed in his abilities, and now it was time to repay them back for taking him away from the horrible life back in the orphanage four years ago. This was it.

"Phase One of the E8 Project commences today. Please proceed according to plan."

Scyke raised from his bed and straightened out his uniform. He didn't believe in Team Rocket's idea of Pokemon being "weapons"; he saw them as partners, as friends. He sometimes didn't like the dirty work he did for Team Rocket during his practice missions the past few years, but always shook off that feeling and got on with it. Somehow he felt indebted to Team Rocket, and this was no different.

Finally finishing whatever he had to do in his room, Scyke left the dorm and strolled towards the cafeteria. The mysterious man had told everyone who were part of the E8 that they would be given a new Pokemon to use to complete in missions with, and that all their old ones would be taken away for use for training purposes. Ha. Scyke and Murkrow weren't going to get separated that easily. Scyke continued his smile as he remembered the night before, when he had successfully sneaked in and switched his and the new Murkrow's Pokeballs around. Although he was confident that his Murkrow was still going to be there when he reached the cafeteria, he was slightly worried that someone else could of found out and took out his Murkrow. "Don't think like that," Scyke muttered under his breath, "stay positive. He will be there, waiting for me."

Finally reaching the cafeteria, Scyke saw two other people in there, already with a new Pokemon. Scyke wouldn't have minded some greetings, but both of them were minding their own business. Sighing, Scyke went up to the long, rectangular table and searched for the Pokeball that had 'Murkrow' labelled to it. It wasn't hard to find. Scyke picked it up and looked deeply into the Pokeball. Then he smiled once again. He could feel the Pokemon's aura. Kind of. Anyway, he knew this was his Murkrow, the Murkrow that he had grew up with for so many years. They both had shared each other's pains and joys; their unbreakable bond wasn't going to stop because of the E8. The two other members had noticed Scyke's unusual happiness but quickly ignored it. Scyke went and sat down on a nearby bench.

Juanito Gordito (or “Ernest” as he's affectionately called) woke up, realizing he has slobbered on his pillow. He barely remembered returning to the headquarters, let alone getting to his bed and falling asleep. The past few days had been somewhat hectic for him, and many events were becoming a messy blur, like a finger-painting supposed to resemble his life.

His wake-up call was a simple statement- one that was probably supposed to mean something to him. It didn't. Every day is just another day, so why would an announcement change that?

"Phase One of the E8 Project commences today. Please proceed according to plan."

Why was everything in phases? Why didn't they just get their work done all at once? It would seem quicker that way, whatever they were trying to accomplish.

Yuppers, today was Phase One. That meant he could get himself a Pokémon- something that's eluded him his entire life. That meant more responsibility; and that meant more work. That's exactly what he needed- more work. Not as if he didn't have enough of it to do already. Preserving your life is a 24 hour job, after all.

Ernest sat up in his bed and did his morning exercises- slowly stroking his mustache and flexing a few times in front of the mirror. Then he put on his favorite red suspenders and slipped his tiny little uniform over them.

Seriously, those things were made for some sort of stick person. It was already hard enough to get belts on, let alone his pants. Some of his belly has to hang out, but it's better than hiring a tailor and use up his meager paycheck.

After brushing his greasy black hair back with an economically-efficient comb (his fingernails), he exited the room and walked around, looking for the right room.

It took him a while, but he eventually found something that looked right. Slowly opening the door, he found several people in there already, holding some Poké Balls. Gaining some confidence, he strode in, jiggling as he walked.

Ernest saw that there were a few Pokémon left, and each of them were labeled in a rather makeshift manner. If he cared which one he received, he could find himself a reliable partner, possibly a permanent ally.

Who cares? He grabbed the first one that caught his eye and sat down without even looking at the label or who he sat next to. Life was better if there was a surprise waiting for him.

Steven stood still, examining his scar in the mirror. He grimaced as he remembered the sharp pain of a force palm to the face. He stared up at the dreary black ceiling. He hated this place, all black and white. No color at all. No life at all. But that part was fine with him. He hated anything grass type. He couldn't wait to get out of this place. A message blared,

"Phase One of the E8 Project commences today. Please proceed according to plan."

He sighed, and moved out of his room. He walked down the dreary, black, hallway. He saw a man in a big suit walk by. The man sneered at him, and he smiled back, keeping on his mask of neutrality. The man pushed by him violently. Steven turned around and stared at him, searching for any ticks. The man stared back and pulled out a Pokeball, "Do you want to fight?" Steven noticed the side of his mouth twitching. He turned around and walked toward the room. "Get back here!" The man cried. Steven entered the room. He saw a girl return a Roselia, and he kept his face blank, but sneered inside. He walked over to the table.

He put his hand on each Pokeball, feeling for which was the coldest. One felt very cold, and he pulled it out. He threw on the floor, and a Sneasel popped out. The Pokeball flew right back into his hand. He looked at the Sneasel, and smiled. A small smile, but one none the less. It would fit his plan perfectly. The Sneasel grinned up at him. "Hello there." He kneeled down to Sneasel's level. Sneasel rubbed its shoulders, as if it was cold, which is strange, as ice types are cold, but don't feel cold. "Show me your moves." Sneasel obeyed, and sent of a bubble of hearts, and Steven suddenly felt draw to, her? Was it a her? Sneasel next put up its claws, and metal spikes grew out of them. Steven jumped back in awe, as he was still under the affects of Attract. Sneasel then glowed and ran very quickly in circles, using agility. Steven was slightly less impressed, but still loved it. Finally, Sneasel used Icy Wind, a cold wash of air blowing over Steven, but it stopped as soon as it started, and Sneasel sneezed. Steven stared at Sneasel confused, "What's wrong girl?" Sneasel stared up at him in apology. Steven thought for a moment, "I'll call you... Sonara, after my mother."

Sonara and Steven walked over to the girl with the Roselia. He stared at her Pokeball and asked, "Is that Roselia yours?"

"Phase One of the E8 Project commences today. Please proceed according to plan."

Jasper groaned and fought his every desire to turn around and stay in bed. He’d been awake for a little bit, residing in that pleasant state between dreaming and fully waking and goddammit, he didn’t want to come out of it. Jasper was not a morning person.

With great effort he threw the blankets off of himself and got out of bed. He zombied his way over to the bathroom and hunched over the sink, splashing water in his face to clear away the fogginess of sleep. Today wasn’t a day he could afford an unclear mind.

“So they finally started it, hm?” he muttered to himself, running a wet hand through his curls in an attempt to make them a bit neater. Honestly, Jasper was relieved. They’d been on lockdown in the base for a little while now and he’d been going absolutely stir-crazy. What’s more, he hadn’t been able to talk to Johannes since then. He’d give his right arm to talk to him, Johannes always had a way of making sense of things while Jasper’s brain didn’t produce anything comprehensible. Now, more than ever, he could use some sense, everything had gone to madness since the death of Xarius.

His death didn’t bother Jasper at all, he’d always thought the guy a smug bastard. Jasper never did play well with others, but Xarius managed to press all his buttons. Good riddance, really. He didn’t know what he’d do if Xarius had ended up being his boss. No, Jasper was very happy with the turn of events.

Unfortunately there were others that knew that.

Jasper changed into the first Henley he grabbed –a dark grey one- and a pair of jeans and tied his combat boots, in no hurry to meet up with the others. He wasn’t overly fond of most of the other E8, and didn’t mind passing over first choice of Pokémon for a few more blissful moment without anyone annoying him.

He was still pissed that they’d taken his previous partner from him, a loyal Poochyena. He wasn’t the strongest to battle with, but Jasper didn’t give a rat’s ass about battling. He had, however, been useful standing watch or checking out corners. No one was surprised of a roaming Poochyena out at night. What’s more, he had served as a very comfy pillow too. He and Jasper had been bros, until the Rockets decided to take him out of “safety precaution”. Jasper was a little worried, not every grunt was as eager to bro with their partners as Jasper had been.

Nothing to do about that now. Jasper grabbed his black gloves and stuffed them in the back pocket of his jeans, just in case, and set off to the canteen.

He hung back in the doorway for a second, scanning the room for those had arrived yet. He recognized a few, none of which he was very fond of, so he quickly moved over to the table. There were a couple of balls set aside, each with a note on the top.

Venipede? Good reach but too slow. Litwick? Its evolutions would be very useful, but Jasper didn’t feel like having to train it first. Training meant battling. Scraggy? Impeded movement, it wouldn’t work. Purrloin? Very nimble and cats can reach high places. There was the possibility of an attitude problem, and cats weren’t as loyal as dogs were, but he could work with it. He picked up the ball and looked around, what now?

There were chairs arranged in a semi-circle, with many already occupied. He quickly scanned the faces to see what he was dealing with. Most were younger than him, including a blue-haired kid in a Rocket suit that looked like he was barely out of his diapers. He just wasn’t certain about the freaky pale lady with the weird lipstick. She gave him the creeps with that smile… he’d be sure to avoid her in the future.

Not wanting to mingle with anyone he moved towards the wall with windows instead of sitting down in the chairs. He leaned against the wall, looking outside, rotating the ball mindless in his hand while waiting for this to be over.

Target - Now the first task begins. Though it's a slightly rockier and less interesting beginning, tasks tend to go harder later on. Also, keep an eye out for twists or strange actions. Remember - you are being accused. Try not to act like nothing's every happened (unless your character is care-free), and think about how 'innocent' you are. x3 This post of yours would probably be longer - I will pick a Pokemon with the random number generator, and you will have to encounter and battle it as first task. End the post by catching it and entering the cafeteria again. Easy?

As the E8 members gathered around in the cafeteria, the Warden fiddled with his documents, making sure that he hadn't screwed anything up. After all, nothing could go wrong at this phase.

Nothing at all.

Glancing at his watch, the Warden got to his feet and walked towards the cafeteria's entrance, punching in a series of complicated numbers with his right hand while waiting for the computer to process his thumb's fingerprint directly below the number pad. The sliding doors shifted to the sides and the cafeteria welcomed him with a friendly 'ding', which somehow sounded a bit too much like a microwave. Knowing that he was right on cue, the Warden puffed out his chest and reached for a random chair, sitting in front of the semi-circle while scanning the E8 in a panoramic fashion. Some were wearing TR uniform, which he liked, while most weren't. When his eyes landed onto the empty seat, he frowned.

"Jenna isn't here. Where's the sneaky gal?" asked the Warden with a thoughtful 'hmm'. "Now there's only six of you. I'll find her later on then - time to get into business."

Crossing his arms, the Warden stared at the potential leaders in front of him, starting off with a threatening and intimidating statement. "I know that one of you are responsible. Xarius was found dead in a sector that could only be accessed by the E8, so there is no use telling me that you had nothing to do with this. Right now, I can't prove that you are guilty, but you can't prove yourself innocent either."

The Warden then leaned forward and brought his hands together. "What I'm going to do is to create a couple of phases with each one serving a different purpose. If you perform well, then, killer or not, you might have a chance of promotion. If I see suspicious acts during the missions, then your cover is blown and I will assume that you are the murderer. I will be watching. To cut it short, you will have to remain loyal while proving to me that you are innocent. How?

He chuckled and rolled his eyes, letting out a soft sigh of amusement. "You will know what to do. Anyway, Phase One is simple - I'm going to observe and analyse the bond between you and your new Pokemon. There will be two tasks in total, and after that, you're good to go for the day. The first task is as easy as it sounds - to catch a new Pokemon around Goldenrod City. Do it alone. When you are done, come back and wait for my arrival. Remember - I will be watching all of you. Act wisely..."

Standing up to reduce the numbness of his legs, the Warden stretched and glared at the E8 for one more time before departing through his own cafeteria exit. "You are free to leave for your first task, but the killer cannot escape me forever."

May Task One begin! According to the Random Number Generator (I swear it's random), you will encounter this Pokemon for your first task -

K A R M A

The other E8 members had dropped in one after the other, each picking a pokémon from the table. Some chose carefully while others just seemed to pick a ball at random, and one person even seemed to know exactly which one to take right off the bat. All the time, Karma just sat in her seat, holding Argoyle's pokéball in her lap and watching the others move about. Her smile was unusually toned down, just barely showing her teeth at all. She was spacing out a bit, thinking...

She recognized them all, of course. You didn't aspire to become a leader in Team Rocket without collecting at least some intel on your subordinates and even more about your rivals. These people were all talented in their own ways and some were even skilled enough to impress Karma. Or at least amuse her.

There was the carefree Jasper, the grumpy Steven, the short and shy Scyke, the cute but cold Parvati and the funny guy called Ernest. And herself of course, the enigmatic Karma. At least she liked to call herself enigmatic!

Just as the last E8 had taken their pick, the Warden also entered the room. He stood before them and stared at them with intimidating look as he commented on the missing spot and gave them their further instructions. When he was done, he walked out his own exit from the cafeteria, only muttering one last thing: "You are free to leave for your first task, but the killer cannot escape me forever."

As the door closed behind him, Karma just couldn't keep quiet anymore. She let out a huge, crazy laugh that almost made her cry. The tension had just been too great! She got up from her seat before anyone else and excitedly glanced at them all.

"So..." she said. "We can finally leave this place again! With new pokémon! This will be an exciting day, my dear friends." She suddenly hesitated. She had gotten an idea while she was talking. "Actually... to make this a bit more interesting, why don't we make it a race? The first one back with a good new pokémon will earn my allegiance for a day! I can assure you it's a nice thing to have. I'm always ready to support worthy people!"

She blew a kiss out to the other E8 members and flicked her long, blonde hair with another laughter, albeit a much calmer one.

__________________

"Alright Gramps! Leave it all to me!"
moderator of Roleplay Theatre
proudly paired with seeker
staff collab july 2015

Jasper kept looking out the window while the Warden spoke, carefully paying attention but not showing it. He was surprised by how eary the first task was. He hated battling and catching Pokémon, mind you, so for him it was rather an inconvenience. But all things considered, this was a piece of cake. What was the Warned playing at? The ease of it made him more suspicious that the hardest task could. The man was spinning a web, and Jasper would rather not get caught in it.

He was started out of his thoughts by a crude laugh. It came to no surprise to him that it belonged to the crazy-looking girl. He’d heard about her before from Johannes, a warning, though he couldn’t remember all of it. Johannes had talked to him at length about all of the E8, always looking out for Jasper’s safety where Jasper himself didn’t. This was also the reason why he’d shrugged through it and didn’t remember much. Now it was like the information was right behind a door, but he couldn’t find the knob. He tried hard to remember her name. Something weird. Something with a K…

“why don't we make it a race? The first one back with a good new pokémon will earn my allegiance for a day! I can assure you it's a nice thing to have. I'm always ready to support worthy people!"

Jasper raised his eyebrows. She was full of surprises, this one. Unpredictable. This made her dangerous to his own objectives: to stay alive through all of this.

And then he remembered her name.

“Karma, right?” He asked, as it clicked. He didn’t wait for her to respond, he knew he was right. “I’m going to have to decline that offer, I’m not a team player, race all you want, I don’t want to be a part of it. Plus, you know what they say: Karma’s a b*tch.”

K A R M A

Jasper had spoken up. “I’m going to have to decline that offer, I’m not a team player, race all you want, I don’t want to be a part of it. Plus, you know what they say: Karma’s a b*tch.”

Karma listened to him with wide eyes, smile fading a little as she heard that he didn't like her idea of racing. And his little attempt at insulting her. The last words made her snap and laugh out loud again.

"Jasper, so adorable! I never did understand how you slid into the E8 with your scaredy ways, but that pun was really good, I've misjudged you!" she said, shaking her head with a pitiful grin at him. She winked. "If you don't want to play with the big guys, I won't force you. To my other dear colleagues - may the best leader grin! And Jasper is right, you know. About Karma." She winked again at the last words.

With that, she turned on her heel and slowly walked out from the room, thinking about where in Goldenrod a good pokémon could be found. She'd better swing by her room and put on a less attention drawing jacket if she was going out. Lab coats tended to stand out in public.

__________________

"Alright Gramps! Leave it all to me!"
moderator of Roleplay Theatre
proudly paired with seeker
staff collab july 2015

Why did Jaspar call the crazy scientist lesbian the “b word”? That was a naughty word. He shouldn't say that.

Jumping out of his seat, Ernest rushed through the doorway hurriedly, not because of the challenge (since he didn't want to be allied with Miss Lipstick), but because he was eager to obey the Warden's orders. Well, to be perfectly honest, it wasn't to obey orders- it was to see which Pokémon he took. The thought of getting a new Pokémon, no matter what type, was exciting enough. To know that today he was going to have two Pokémon, well, he was just about dying with anticipation.

Maybe he would get one of those Pokémon that can't poop. That would be nice, not having to clean up every time he took it out for fresh air. Maybe he got a machine, like Magnemite or something- those were nice. They could even create magnetic waves powerful enough to drag refrigerators to them. Oh, or maybe he had gotten something made of crystals or ice cream. Those looked interesting.

Ernest quickly lumbered through the hallway, laughing at the thought of eating his own Pokémon. It was far beyond his comfort zone, but well within the realm of possibility.

After turning a corner and noticing the hallway appeared empty, he pulled out the small capsule and threw it on the ground as dramatically as he could. His large belly rolled like the the ocean, tossing and turning in a wave of large ripples. The ball bounced on the floor, released a bright beam of light, and then smacked him in the face on the return.

“Ow! That hurt.”

The light quickly formed into a familiar monster- one that seemed to give off its own light.

Ernest gasped, accidentally swallowing a fly. The Pokémon was on fire!

“Fire!” he screamed, running in tiny circles. After a few moments of allotted panic-time, he ran to the conveniently-placed fire extinguisher across the hallway. He thought about smashing the glass with his fist, but decided just to open it with the handle, so he wouldn't hurt himself.

Then he whipped around and pointed the extinguisher at his Pokémon. But by the grace of fate, he hesitated to fire the foam. Something seemed... off.

That's when he noticed the fire was purple. As he looked more carefully, he saw the flame was perched atop a frowning figure, who glared at him with a cold, yellow eye. She stood, unmoving, watching him with a distant expression that was most certainly inhuman. Though she stood at only a foot, her presence was undeniably heavy.

As the unearthly glow of her tiny flame flickered with its own life, as of controlled by a spirit. The fire almost appeared like it was trying to escape from its container, the way it moved violently in the still air.

There was no denying what sort of creature that was. Litwick, the candle Pokémon.

He dropped the fire extinguisher on the floor, letting the echo ring loudly through the hallway while he grappled for his belt.

His fingers finally nestled on the tiny device. He ripped it from its resting place with a panicked shout and threw it at the monster.

The ball sailed through the air, taking a few seconds to even decide to follow the laws of gravity. It smacked into the creature's face and landed on the ground, not even affecting her. She didn't even flinch.

Litwick slowly turned her gaze to the Poké Ball that had fallen by her side. Then she turned to look at Ernest, who was now cowering in fear. Bending down, she picked up the little ball. Then she pushed the button on it, causing it to grow, and heaved it high into the air, allowing it to hit her head.

She disappeared without another word. Although she was supposed to be Ernest's greatest ally, silence seemed to be hers.

Scyke looked around the cafeteria, a little embarrassed by the fact that he was part of the minority who actually was wearing the TR uniform. He thought about changing to normal clothes again; it's not like people in Goldenrod were going to appreciate a TR grunt going around for Pokemon. Just before he left however, some of the E8 members had already started to bicker and banter around. Scyke caught some of the conversation; one of them had said something about racing, then someone else had counteracted with some kind of pun. The lady with the lab coat sure did make him shudder yet curious at the same time; she looked confident, smart and... dangerous. Karma, wasn't that her name? Then he looked at the other members; all of them seemed that way. All of them were taller than him too. Scyke shook his head. No, this was not the time to get intimidated.

He took out Murkrow's Pokeball and brought the Pokemon out. "Murr!" exclaimed the little bird, happy that it was reunited with his trainer. He sat in Scyke's shoulder and let out a encouraging smile to Scyke. The task was easy enough; catch a Pokemon near Goldrenrod. Not wanting to cause any trouble or enemies right off the bat, Scyke left the cafeteria without speaking a word. A mission needed completing. And that crazy Karma lady wanted a race, huh? Even if he hadn't mentioned it to her, he was determined to be the first one to come back with the task completed. He is, at least he considered himself to be, one of the best young battlers in TR.

Steven stared at the girl, Karma it was, in disgust. Had she just blown a kiss at him? He shook that off and looked at the girl with the Roselia, um, ugh, he couldn't remember much today. Then he placed her name, Parvati. She didn't answer is question, so he shrugged it off, and went outside to catch himself a Pokemon. How could Karma, go and just start making alliances. He wasn't here to make alliances. Steven returned Sonara, and walked outside of the room. When he reached outside, he leaned against the wall and put his head in his hands. Today was going to be a long day. He just had to figure out who did it before The Warden did. If the Warden figured it out, everything would go downhill. And his parents. His parents were a different matter. Now that he had a Pokemon, he could deal with them. But not now. He had to wait, and bide his time.

Steven walked up the stairs to the surface, looking for a Pokemon. There were none on first sight. Steven sent out Sonara. "Sonara, can you help me find a Pokemon?" Sonara stared up at Steven and nodded, sneezing an attract in his direction. Steven looked overcome and said, "Thanks Sonara!" Sonara sped off into the bushes, and Steven walked off in the same general direction. Through the bushes Steven thought of his plan. He just needed a fighting type... Sonara called out. Steven rushed to where she was. Sonara was just on the outskirt of Goldenrod, fighting a Riolu, dodging its moves. Steven cursed, a fighting type already? Sonara was not trained well enough. Ice type moves would do nothing, and dark would do little. "Sonara Attract!" Sonara used attract, and Riolu got hit square in the face.

Riolu looked dazed, it was a boy, perfect! "Sonara, use Agility and Attract simultaneously!" Sonara ran around Riolu in circles, making it dizzy and lovesick at the same time. The Riolu called out for Sonara. Crap, a townsman noticed! Steven had forgot to change in all of his waiting for his moment. "Sonara rush in and use Metal Claw multipul times!" Sonara rushed in and used Metal Claw, landing 3 hits, but that snapped Riolu out of the confusion, Riolu used Counter, and smashed Sonara into the ground. Darn it! That was super effective. Sonara looked dazed, and a police officer came running toward them. Steven jumped into a bush, leaving Sonara and the Riolu out in the open. The Riolu stared at the Policeman, and rushed into the woods. Sonara was left there, half fainted, getting up and looking into the eyes of a policeman. She used Metal Claw, and lightly scratched his face, leaving a large mark across it. The policeman jumped up, and using Agility, Sonara sped into the woods. The policeman left, and Steven stood conflicted. Sonara or the Riolu. Sonara it was.

K A R M A - Catching pokémon in Goldenrod

Golderod in the morning was a busy place. Everyone was hurrying to their work or school or wherever people could possibly be going on at that time of day in such a large city. Karma stood on a low rooftop, breathing in the fresh, cold air of morning. The sun tickled her eyes. From here, she could see the city spread out to the north and west. The sea glimmered some ways away. So... what kind of pokémon should she capture?

The golett stood beside her, the green inner light of him pulsating calmly. Karma had dubbed him Argoyle simply because it sounded nicely. There didn't have to be a ****ing deep reason for everything in life. Argoyle was currently crossing his arms in front of him and looking up at his new trainer. A mental feeling made Karma snicker.

"You're wondering why I'm standing here, breathing like a hippie, instead of trying to get a pokémon as quickly as I can?" She looked at him. "I won't just capture a pokémon. Let's think about it. Others might just run out and take the first one they can find. Others spend too much time trying to find the very rarest pokémon in Goldenrod. But I... What will I do?"

She stood up straight again and let her eyes scan the cityline. Dark alleys caught her sight. "I will... I will capture a very common pokémon. And train it to be uncommonly vicious and strong. That's got to be the best way to show the Warden that I have definite qualities to lead Team Rocket well! Don't you think, Argoyle?"

He seemed content by that, without getting soft and thankful. The crossed arms were just finally let down.

"Right. Let's go down and find something no one would expect me to come back with. A rattata or zubat or ekans perhaps. I'd like to hear their insults shower over me like a swarm of bad jokes... hahahahahha!"

The laughter echoed across the nearest streets, but if people looked up to try and see from where it came, they would only see a flicker of very blond hair glimmer in the morning sunlight.

__________________

"Alright Gramps! Leave it all to me!"
moderator of Roleplay Theatre
proudly paired with seeker
staff collab july 2015

Steven ran though the woods. He wasn't very good at this stealth thing. Maybe that would show he didn't do it. No. That wasn't what he wanted. He wanted them to be suspicious. He wanted to be called up. He needed all six Pokemon first Everyone knew that the Warden always carried two. Although they didn't know of which types.

Back on track. He needed to catch this Riolu for two reasons. He needed to get to the final stage before he could blow everything up. Metaphorically, and Literally. Also he wanted this Riolu. If he could get a Lucario out of it, which a Weavile? That would be perfect.

Steven heard the fighting again, and advanced quietly. But this time, the Riolu was, fighting another Riolu? How many were there? Well that would be perfect. He needed to wait until they spilt up and one lay knocked out on the dirt. Then he would catch it. He saw Sonara across the clearing. He made a stopping motion to her, but she didn't notice. He jumped up and down, but she kept advancing. Slowly. Then she jumped forward with agility. The Riolu that they fought before stepped out of the way, but Sonara went careening into the other one with Metal Claws.

The first Riolu ran off. D*m* it! (OOC do I have to bleep that? Or is it okay?) Steven advanced on the other one, which was Quick-Attack-punching Sonara. He tackled it, and it fell to the ground. Quickly Steven pulled out the Pokeball, and pressed the button. The air underneath him became vacant, and he fell to the ground. He sighed, and rolled over.

But Riolu came out of the Pokeball, and rose into the air. "What the heck?" Then he realized. Magnet Rise? It knows Magnet Rise?

The sun had only been up for a couple of hours, and yet Goldenrod City was busy as usual. Lasses were already filling up the huge shopping centre, gossiping and checking out the latest fashion. Pokemon trainers had been up from the beds in the Pokemon Centre; some were starting their training to challenge the city's gym leader, Whitney. The daily breakfast show, aired from the Goldenrod Radio Tower, was nearly over. The National Park wasn't holding their weekly bug catching contest, but there were still many visitors even in this time of the day. And finally, the Pokeathlon Dome was starting to fill up with fans and tourists alike, preparing for the day's events.

Right outside the city and in Route 34 was Scyke, who had changed into normal apparel from his TR uniform. Alongside him and in the air was his Murkrow. Both had been in the tall grass for around fifteen minutes now, in search for a Pokemon to impress the Warden. Scyke wanted to be a valuable member of the E8. He didn't want to be enemies with the others or have them take advantage of him; rather, he would prefer them to be in his side, friends or not. Scyke also liked Murkrow being outside of his Pokeball. That way, he could use Murkrow's vision from higher up to find rare Pokemon. Unfortunately for Sckye though, the best he could do was an average Drowzee. "Come on, there must be someone half-decent here..." he muttered under his breath. He wanted to be the first one back in the cafeteria, but he also didn't want to come back with something too common and easy.

Then something caught Murkrow's eyes, something that seemed so rare that in an instant Murkrow started barking like mad. "Murrkrow! Murrkrow!"

"You find something, mate?" said Scyke as he walked towards Murkrow carefully, hoping not to frighten the wild Pokemon away. Murkrow just kept on barking. "What did you fin- wow! That's a... a... er..." A cyan coloured balloon-like Pokemon was walking around the grass, not aware of the boy that was staring intently at him. His tail was waggling around as it was in delight.

"A Wanut or something? I don't really remember it's name correctly. All I can remember is that it evolves into Wobbuffet," Scyke recalled, remembering the lessons he had with TR when he was younger, "But the Wobbuffet family isn't supposed to be around here. What's a Wanut doing here? Is it someone else's Pokemon..?" Unsure, Scyke crept closer until he was right behind the unsuspecting Pokemon. "Oh well, guess there's only one way to find out."

Parvati kept her face emotionless as she observed the other members of the E8, well those that remained after Xarius was murdered. Parvati had not liked Xarius at all whenever she was around him he always seemed to eye her in a way that made her skin crawl. She hated him with a passion and everyone knew it, but she knew things about the others too. Things she'd use if she had too, but for now she'd just go back to watching the others. Noting that person who had been in the room was Karma whom to her seemed to be a bit mad. But Parvati wouldn't judge, she'd mind her own buisness. Next to enter after her was Scyke whom never talked much around her. Though Parvati did notice that he seemed a bit too happy about the Pokemon he choose. Something to keep in mind she thought before looking to see who entered next not even looking to see where Scyke sat in the half-circle. Juanito came in next and Parvati had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. When it came to Juanito one knew not to make eye contact, because if you did the boy would not stop running his mouth. Though before looking back towards the door she did note that he didn't even look at what Pokemon he grabbed. Steven came in next and as Parvati eyed him she smirked a little before going emotionless again. She knew of Steven's fear of grass type Pokemon and knew he had seen her Roselia when he had spoken to her. This was something she'd have to use to her advantage. She saw Jasper come in and didn't think much of him because from what she had seen he wasn't a very serious person.

Finally after what seemed like hours the Warden entered the room sitting down in a chair facing them before pointing out that James Tan was missing, a fact that Parvati didn't care about. He then spoke of Xarius murder and how they were all suspects but he would be testing them through phases which could end in someone getting a promotion. Their first task was to go and catch a new Pokemon. Yes, that would do nicely. After all they were on lock-down in their sector of the base it would be great to be in the fresh air. After the warden left Parvati stood and stretched her arms above her head, she could hear a few of the others talking but paid no mind to them as she walked out of the room. There would be plenty of time to taunt or talk to her fellow E8 members. Though with one missing and one dead it was more like the E6. Leaving the base Parvati made her way to Goldenrod which was really busy in the mornings. Shoving her way though the crowded streets ignoring the people who reacted when she did. Finally though she made it through the city and stepped into the tall grass.

"what to catch" she muttered calling out Kiri. "alright, we're going to catch a new Pokemon Kiri. That's our task you up for it?" she asked barely glancing down at the Roselia.

"Rose...Roselia!" Kiri chimed excitedly wanting to do anything to please her new trainer. Suddenly Parvati spotted an Elecktrike that was completely unaware it was being watched. "Kiri use Swift"

Kiri nodded looking at the wild Pokemon and raised her left arm pointing the blue flower towards the other Pokemon before letting loose a barrage of yellow stars that slammed into the wild Pokemon making it bark and skid back a little before turning and glaring at Kiri. With another bark the Electrike ran forward and slammed into Kiri with tackle making the little Pokemon cry out.

Jasper shrugged at Karma’s retort, suppressing a shudder as she laughed that evil laugh again. God he did not like this woman. All the creeps. He waited a few moments after she, and a few others, left so he would be sure not to meet her outside before he walked out of the HQ as well.

As soon as he was a few paces away from the Goldenrod HQ, Jasper saw a familiar shape leaning against a wall. “Johannes?”

“Jasper. Long time no see.” Johannes was a man in his late-forties, with a face to show it. He had short brown hair with signs of graying, grey eyes, and was still wearing a lab coat over a semi-formal attire. He looked weary and tired.

“What are you doing here?”

“I picked up some intel about the mission, nothing specific, just that you’d be going out in the city today, and I waited.”

“God, I’ve been wanting to talk to you, Johannes,” Jasper admitted. He was worried though, it looked like Johannes had aged a number of years since he last saw him.

“Likewise. Let’s get you out of this mess alive, Jasper.”

“You’re not going to ask me if I did it?”

Johannes shook his head. “I see no point, it’s done and you’re in this mess, guilty or not. I’d rather focus on keeping you safe rather than trivialities of who did what.”

This surprised Jasper. For as long as he had known Johannes, the scientist had always upheld his own moral code, not approving of much of the sort of work that Jasper had been given. If he had to be honest, Jasper was relieved. He’d rather not be asked question he had no satisfactory answer to, certainly not to Johannes.

“What is your mission?” Johannes asked him.

“To catch a Pokémon, any Pokémon,” Jasper answered. “I don’t see the point though, I mean if we weren’t at least semi-competent we wouldn’t’ve been chosen for the E8.”

“No doubt the Warden knows what he’s doing. He wouldn’t give you any missions unless it’s with a purpose.”

“Maybe he’s trying to get us to lower our guard? To underestimate the trials?”

“Perhaps,” Johannes allowed. “But that sounds too simple. It doesn’t matter anyway, just complete it as quickly as possible, I’ll accompany you for as long as I can.”

“They must be monitoring us.”

“I count on it, I’d be disappointed in our security department if they weren’t,” Johannes let out a dry chuckle. “They might keep you under lockdown in HQ, but here they have no such jurisdiction. What do you know about the murder?”

“All I know is that Xarius was found in an area off-limits for anyone not E8, and that he was stabbed. And that the murderer covered his tracks.”

Johannes raised an eyebrow at Jasper, both of them knew that Jasper was known to be meticulous at tracks-covering. Even now on an informal mission he wore his gloves. But Johannes was true to his word and did not enquire. “You don’t know any more than we do then. While a murderer might still have been able to sneak into the area, albeit with difficulty, we can’t deny the motivation for your group is there. Honestly, I think the other members of the Endowed are more of a threat to you than the Warden at this point. I don’t trust them at all.”

“That makes two of us,” Jasper said.

“Just make sure they underestimate you, that’s a lot safer for you. I know you’re not very good at staying in the background, but at least keep up your normal attitude. Whoever killed Xarius likely did so for power, if they want it badly enough to kill once, they’ll want it badly enough to kill twice. Don’t for a moment be fooled into thinking they won’t do so again. This game the Warden is playing won’t protect you or anyone. This is Team Rocket, for all we know he’s waiting for the murderer with a badge of promotion.”

They were walking towards the nearest park now, hoping to find a wild Pokémon there, but the mission was put on the backburner for a bit, the conversation itself taking priority.

“What can you tell me about the others?” Jasper asked. “I know you’ve told me about them before, but I don’t remember a lot of it.”

Johannes sighed. “Of course you don’t, sometimes I wonder why I even bother with you.” It was said with a small smile. “The youngest is Scyke, he’s only 14 years old. Don’t underestimate him though, do you remember the disciplinary schools the team’s been experimenting with? He’s one of the graduates. In fact, I’ve heard it said he was one of the most promising kids there. While I don’t like tot hink of a 14 year old committing cold-blooded murder, don’t exclude him too easily. He is very easily underestimated, let others make that mistake but not you. “

“I don’t know a lot about the other young boy, except that his parents were in with Giovanni. Much good that’ll do them now. Either way, he got in through them. I’ve heard it said that he doesn’t have a lot of ambition, so I wouldn’t worry too much about him. There’s bigger fish to worry about.”

“Like Karma?”

“Yes. Like Karma. She’s… unpredictable. And unpredictable people are dangerous to have around you. Not to mention that I suspect her not to be entirely sane either.”

“Yeah, I kind of got that impression.”

“Why? What did you do, Jasper?”

Jasper looked away, guilty. “I.. may have insulted here… a little.”

“God damnit Jasper! Do you want to make my life difficult?”

“At least she didn’t seem to take it as an insult?”

Johannes let out a big sigh. “There's no knowing how that one takes anything. Can you at least try to stay out of her hair? There have been… incidents before. She’s dangerous, Jasper, I would appreciate it if you would take that seriously.”

“I will,” Jasper said, quite seriously. He would try, at least. His mouth always had that way of running with him. “Now the others?”

“Right, there’s Ernest, the… heavier one. You may have heard of the unorthodox way he was placed in the E8?”

“Definitely, it was quite a laugh when it happened. An administrative error. I still don’t know why they bothered to give the kid a shot. I also can’t see how he could have waddled his way into Xarius’ room and overpowered him. Xarius is a fit fellow and Ernest most definitely is not. I’m not too worred.”

“Neither am I, really. As I said, there’s bigger fish. Lastly there’s Parvati. I’m not too informed on her either. She climbed the ranks much like you did, with effort and not with special circumstance. If a situation calls for an ally, she might be your best bet.”

“You know how I feel about allies,” Jasper responded. “I prefer to work alone.”

“Sometimes it wouldn’t hurt to have someone who has your back. Either way, she might also be someone to keep your eye on.”

“So you think the main danger is with Scyke, Parvati, and most of all Karma.”

“Yes, I do. You can ignore the others for now, unless anything about them stands out. I’ll try to stay in contact as much as I can, but I can’t promise anything. For all I know they didn’t approve of our interaction. We both know they have ways to prevent it. Just, please be careful Jasper, you’re in over your head here. You need to focus, be alert, and most of all, watch your step. Be sure you’re being watched at all times, and not just by the Warden.”

“Hey, I’m the one looking out for you, you’re the reckless idiot that likes to give me a heart attack,” For the first time today Johannes gave an actual smile.

“You should lay off the bacon then.”

“Smartass. I’ll see you soon, now go catch your bloody Pokémon.” Johannes took off, hurrying back to the HQ through the allies of Goldenrod.

Jasper felt reassured having talked to him. Johannes helped things make sense where he himself couldn’t. At least now he knew who to look out for. He had reached the small park by now. He grabbed the Pokéball of the Purrloin and gave a great, heavy sigh. “I suppose we’ve got some catching to do.”

Jolted by the sudden voice, the Wynaut jumped up and turned around, showing it's emote-fixed face. It's tail stunned in a stance, as if to show that it was in shock. Before it could react or even make a sound however, Murkrow swooped in and bashed into the baby Pokemon, making it bounce backwards. Wynaut took the hit well however, and stood up with the same smile in it's face; this time however it's tail starting slamming into the ground. It didn't like the sudden challenge, but was well up for it. "It's wild alright; there seems to be no trainer rushing in to look for it.." Wynaut started to gather its arms and it's face suddenly was making a pleading face, a face that looked like as if it was helpless and weak. Scyke scratched his head in confusion. What on earth was it doing? Attract?

Murkrow fell for the move Charm and suddenly was sorry for the Wynaut; he didn't want it to get as hurt anymore by his attacks. He thought about it; it was only a baby Pokemon, how durable could it be?

Unaware of the fact that Murkrow's attack had been harshly lowered, Scyke ignored Wynaut's move and ordered Murkrow, "Now use Wing Attack! We don't want this Wanut to faint, of course!" Murkrow jumped in to the ground and clashed it's wings towards the Wynaut, but the attack wasn't done at it's full potential; it was clear that Murkrow had held back it's attack. Scyke got even more confused. "Murkrow, what are you doing?! He didn't seem infatuated at all... that means the that Wanut must have used... Charm! That's it!" Sckye looked up at his Murkrow and confirmed his hunch. He clearly had a concern look at it's face; Charm had worked very well. The wild Wynaut withstanded the attack and jumped up towards Murkrow. "That move... it must be Counter! Murkrow, watch out!"

Murkrow watched Wynaut until it had reached it's level somehow, but before it could dodge anything the balloon-shaped Pokemon slammed it's tail into Murkrow, making the bird slam down towards the ground. "Counter's attack doubles in power if the user was hit by a physical attack... Murkrow wouldn't be affected as much if it also wasn't a part Dark type." Murkrow raised itself up and rose back up in the air, shocked by getting hit by a Pokemon that seemed harmless just a minute ago. "Impressive. It sure has the same qualities as a Wobuffett; great at countering and taking attacks. Ok, let's try this then - Murkrow, Double Team!"

Murkrow nodded at his trainer and swiftly moved around the wild Wynaut. The sudden and rapid movement created illusory copies of Murkrow which surrounded Wynaut, who was confused at which was the real Murkrow. Unsure on what to do since it wasn't getting hit, the cyan Pokemon's feet started glowing and it started bouncing where it was standing. "It's using Splash? We'll need to get rid of that when we catch you; no one will be impressed with a move that does nothing at all. Now, Murkrow! Return!" Suddenly the illusions rushed in on the Wynaut, but then at the moment of contact all the Murkrows but one vanished, and the Wynaut again crashed backwards, except this time it wasn't hurt as much as the first Return. "Argh... Murkrow must be still affected by that Charm. And if that Wunat or whatever it's name is is like Wobuffett, then it must be extremely durable. Murkrow, keep using Double Team and charge in with Return whenever I say so!"

As time passed, Scyke and Murkrow continued to use the same attack, until Murkrow's evasiveness had reached it's maximum level. Wynaut couldn't get a hit in at all after many attempts with Counter, and it was getting weaker and weaker. After another hit with Return, Scyke called out, "Stop! It's had enough." Murkrow obeyed his trainer and flew back into the air unscathed. Except for the one Counter it hadn't been touched at all by the wild Wynaut. "I think we have done enough damage at it. Now all there's left to do is this-" As Scyke spoke, he took out a Pokeball from his pocket, enlarged it and threw the red-and-white ball towards the Wynaut. A brilliant red light sucked in the Pokemon and the Pokeball closed up and started shaking vigorously on the ground. Scyke stood there in tension; surely he had done enough to capture it? After a minute, the Pokeball stopped jerking and made a ding! sound. Wynaut had been caught.

"Task completed."

Scyke went over to the Pokeball and picked it up, fairly happy with himself. "It's strange that a Wunat is even near Goldenrod City, and it couldn't had been anyone else's Pokemon since I was able to catch it. I'm sure none of the other E8 members can catch such a rare Pokemon." Murkrow flew down and clamped his claws softly onto Scyke's left shoulder. Scyke raised his hand and ruffled the bird's fur. "Great work out there; that Double Team/Return combo was very effective. We should use it again when we need to!" Murkrow chirped out in agreement, before getting recalled back to his Pokeball by Scyke. "Now you need a good rest; that battle lasted longer than I expected. Time to head back to the cafeteria."

Steven yelled, "Sonara, Metal Claw!" Sonara jumped into the air, slicing near the Riolu's feet, but only allowing the Riolu to Quick-Attack-punch her down. "Attract!" Sonara growled, and used attract. Riolu hadn't seen her before and wasn't prepared. However, it turns out Riolu was a girl... So Riolu stared at her strangely and paused. "Combo Agility and Metal Claw!" Sonara jumped into the air, and smaked Riolu with a Metal Claw. Roilu fell to Earth.

Riolu countered, and Sonara dodged. They stared a dance of dodging each other's Metal Claws. Riolu levitated, and Quick Attacked into Sonara's face. Sonara fell back. "Sonara, Attract!" Steven knew that as both females, even though Attract wasn't effective between them, it still lowered attack. Riolu stopped again, and made a face.

Icy wind would barely do any damage, but it might freeze the Riolu. "Okay Sonara. Icy Wind!" Sonara stared a him. Instead of Icy Wind, she slashed the Riolu across the face with a Metal Claw. "What?" Steven cried out angrily. Sonara shivered, and blew a weak Icy Wind in Riolu's direction, that didn't do anything. That shook Riolu out of it, and Steven stood there dumbfounded. Sonara jumped into the air to bring down a Metal Claw, and the Riolu met her with Counter. Both Metal Claws hit their marks. Both Pokemon fell to the ground. Unmoving. Both were knocked out.

Steven sent out a Pokeball, and easily caught Riolu. He silently returned Sonara, and walked back towards the base. When back inside, Steven stared down the hallway. A person he recognized, Johannes, walked by. Steven remember Johannes was good "friends" with Jasper. Or as close as you could get to a friend in Team Rocket. Johannes looked shaken up. This would be the perfect time to get some answers from him. "Johannes." Steven walked up to him. Johannes kept walking and ignored him. "What does Jasper have to do with this? Did he do it?" He didn't expect any answers. He expected Johannes to tell Jasper about what he was about to saw. If he was right, Jasper would show himself. If not, he had calculated what would happen. Nothing could go wrong. Then he remembered that The Warden was watching. So what? "I know Jasper did it." Johannes stopped, and stood still until Steven started moving. Steven walked onwards, into the cafeteria.

He noticed Scyke was already in there. Good he wouldn't have to do deal with that crazy Karma lady. He would heal his Pokemon after everyone arrived in here and The Warden spoke. Now was a good time to collect his thoughts. All Steven needed was an electric type, and an evolved Lucario. He didn't have the time to name his newly caught Riolu. Although Riolu evolved of happiness... Nah. He had better things to worry about now. He couldn't wait till Jasper got back. He just hoped that Johannes got the word to him. He also hoped The Warden didn't take Jasper in for questioning first. He needed answers. Fast.

"Kiri use Sweet Kiss!" Parvati ordered as Kiri straightened herself out. The Roselia was glaring at and pointed her flowered hands at the electric type and the flowers glowed and a green beam slammed into the wild Pokemon draining energy from it and giving it to Kiri. "Kiri, I said use Sweet Kiss not Mega Drain" Parvati snapped crossing her arms. "you need to listen to me" she added as the Elecktrike got it's bearing back and turned to Kiri.

With an angry bark the electric canine ran at Kiri and bit her leg using Ice Fang and almost freezing Kiri in the process. "Use Swift Kiri!" Parvati ordered and the small Roselia nodded and sent another barrage of stars at the Elecktrike sending it back into a tree as well as confusing it. Pulling out a Pokeball Parvati threw it at the Elecktrike, it shook three times before it clicked. "Finally" she muttered looking at Kiri coldly. "Next time do as I say" she said before returning her Pokemon and picking up the Pokeball that held her new Pokemon. "Ajay, that's your name" she muttered before turning and walking back into Goldenrod city. Luckily it wasn't as crowded because Parvati was in no mood to shove through people.

"Parvati!" a male voice called out to her making her turn around to see a tall black haired man walking up to her. "Your out of lockdown?"

"No Dennis, the Warden, has tasks for us. I don't have time to talk" she said turning away from the man that introduced her to Team Rocket.

"Just...be careful!" Dennis called towards her retreating form though she didn't acknowledge his words. Of course she was going to be careful. She wasn't stupid. Getting back into the base she saw that Steven and Scyke were already there and hadn't noticed her. "Hello Boys, back already?" she said coldly hoping to startle the two boys.

Ernest waved, glad to see the little munchkin still remembered him. It had been a few weeks since his last greeting, and he had gotten worried that the kid outgrew being friendly.

Ernest was a familiar presence in the town, since he often took regular jaunts to the local restaurant- Bojanglies. Ernest was possibly the only Team Rocket member that could walk the streets without unfriendly glares. Those that knew him, though disapproving of his actions, enjoyed his presence, however fleeting it was. He was a permanent and moving part of the landscape, since he had very little enmity with any of the residents.

He was tempted to stop at Bojanglies or one of the many shops selling donuts that were scattered around town. There was just one thing stopping him- the fact that the Warden would think he's the murderer if he didn't do what he said. He was probably being watched right now, both by Team Rocket and the other E8 members. If he were to goof off, they would know about it.

Barely had this thought crossed his mind when he noticed a certain blue-haired character heading to Route 34- it was Scyke. Perfect. The guy looked like he knew what he was doing, and best of all knew where he was going. Those were two things that Ernest's brain seemed to be missing at the moment. If he followed him, maybe he could discover how to battle and capture Pokémon.

Ernest knew he needed a clever disguise in order to pull it off. He jumped into the nearest store, grabbing five Poké Balls and ripping a fake beard off the shelf. Then he ran off without another word, knowing that no one would dare stop a Team Rocket member.

He ducked into a nearby bush and took off his Rocket uniform. Then he strapped his new beard to his face, giggling to himself at how clever he was. After all was said and done, he was wearing black sweatpants with red suspenders that traveled up and around his squishy body. He had a bushy, white beard and black tennis shoes with a small R sewn on it. He didn't have a shirt on, but as long as he was in Team Rocket, he didn't even need shoes and he'd still get service.

Before running after Mister Murkrow, he reached into his uniform and pulled out his pocketknife. He stuffed it into his hungry belly-button and then began his waddle toward Route 34. He never felt comfortable without at least one knife with him at all times- a remnant habit from his years as a potato-peeler in the kitchen.

Yuppers, the guy seemed in a big hurry for some reason. Maybe he wanted to capture a Pokémon first so he could ally with the evil lady. It was always good to have an evil person on your side- they would never, ever betray their friends, right? Maybe he might wait until Scyke returned before going back. Ernest had no intention of being associated with Miss Wicked Wiles.

He left town with a caravan of people behind him cheering for him. They shouted encouragement like “put a shirt on” and “gross”, no doubt poking fun at the fact that Pokémon never wore shirts. As he took his last, tired steps out of the city boundaries, he waved them all a thankful goodbye. Blue Boy was nowhere to be found, so he skipped merrily into the grass, searching for a new Pokémon to catch.

It only took a few seconds before... he got bored. Noticing that there was a Pokémon Day Care just a little distance away, he walked inside.

The old lady greeted him at the door. “Welcome to the Pokémon- HOLY CELEBI PUT A SHIRT ON!”

Ernest chuckled, dismissing the idea with a wave of his hand. “Oh, you silly old person. You're just like all the people in town- silly as a Slowpoke. I'm here on official business, so I don't have too much time to talk.”

“Thank goodness for that.”

“I need to steal one of the Pokémon you have in storage.”

“Excuse me?” she asked in utter disbelief.

“I'm going to go in the back and just capture one of the Pokémon I see there. Please don't stop me because then I'll have to sic my candle on you.”

“Your candle? Uh... you know what, I think it's time to you leave. Now.”

The Daycare Lady grabbed the nearby broom and began to wave it threateningly, hoping cheap straw attached to a stick would scare a man twice her size. She jabbed at his engorged stomach to push him back. He didn't move.

“I guess my Litwick's gonna get ya. You better run, lady.”

He grabbed the solitary ball hanging on his belt and smashed it on the ground, releasing the candle Pokémon. She opened her bright yellow eye and looked at Ernest expectantly, waiting for an order.

“Hey Litwick! Go kick her butt while I find you a nice friend to play with.”

The Daycare Lady stepped back, brandishing her broom in horror. Ernest giggled as he passed by her without any trouble. She was too busy fending for her life to worry about some little Pokémon being kidnapped.

He whipped open the door to the Pokémon playground. Dozens of little eyes turned to look at the sudden intruder. The happy little critters stopped playing to stare up in fear at the large man who was invading their home.

“Hey, ya little rascals! C'mere and give your uncle Juanito a hug!”

All of the Pokémon ran as far as the could from the towering figure- all except one. It was a curious little Ralts that peered up at the human with child-like trust. Brashly underestimating Ernest's capabilities, he began walking toward him.

Ernest opened up a ball he had “bought” at the store and threw it at the creature. In a beam of light, the Pokémon was sucked into the capsule as the ball began shaking.

One... two... three...

Surprisingly, Ralts was caught without any problem. Maybe he wanted to be with the new trainer, or maybe he was too weak to resist capture. Either way, the Pokémon was caught in a new ball, and he had technically completed his mission.

“Alright!” he shouted, giving a fist pump in the air. “I caught a Ralts!”

He grabbed the ball and ran into the Daycare.

“Okay! I got what I wanted, so I'm leaving now!”

Ernest stopped. The Daycare Lady was nowhere to be found. All that remained was a less-than-innocent-looking candle staring at Ernest with a chilling grin. What she could have done in only a few second was beyond him, so he decided not to think about it. What his Pokémon did was up to her, as long as it didn't mar his record too much. He still needed to stay as an E8 member to keep his tiny paycheck. Oh, and he still wanted to get promoted to whatever everyone else wanted- whatever that position was called.

He never noticed the half-singed remains of a sweeping broom lying behind the desk. His nose was too clogged up to smell the horrid smell. He never even looked up to see the thick plume of smoke above his head. Even if he had, he might not have understood its significance.

He put Litwick back in her Poké Ball and began running back to base. He was already tired of the job, and was beginning to hate Pokémon too. They seemed to cause nothing but trouble.

Steven looked up at Parvati. She had had a Roselia earlier. "Hello Boys, back already?" She said. He didn't like the tone in her voice. He realized he hadn't seen one person. Jenna Williams. Where could she be off to? He looked at Parvati with a steely look and said, "Does it matter?" He thought, maybe I shouldn't be doing this. Parvati is not someone to mess with. Her Roselia would be beaten easily, although Sonara didn't appear to like to use Icy Wind. That was a major complication.

Steven rose before Parvati could respond, and strode out of the room, towards the healing room. He looked through the drawers of the room, and grabbed three Revives. One more than he needed. He also grabbed 3 Hyper Potions, and in the palm of his hand he got a Max Revive, hiding it from the camera. There was no way The Warden saw that. He let out his Riolu and Sonara. He used a Revive on each of the Pokemon keeping the Max Revive behind his back. He slipped it in his pocket. Riolu stared up at him strangely. "Kimbou. Your name is Kimbou." Steven returned Kimbou, not caring whether she liked the name or not. Steven also returned Sonara who looked shameful from the battle.

He returned to the cafeteria and sat down again. He was glad he went to the healing center. One never knew what The Warden would throw at you next.

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